Police officers raise $14,000 to save dog left dying in the road with ribs exposed for FIVE hours after it was hit by a car because owner said she didn't want ‘to fix him'

Three Los Angeles police officers were returning to their station on Thursday, January 10, when they stopped to help a severely injured dog whose owner said she did not want ‘to fix’ after the dog was hit by a car.

The 2-year-old pit bull-Shar Pei mix, who the caring officers named ‘Philly’ after an LAPD sergeant, had been struck at the corner of 108th Street and Central Avenue.

Witnesses told the officers the brown pooch had been suffering on the ground with his ribs exposed for at least five hours.

Scroll down for video

Poor pooch: The 2-year-old pit bull-Shar Pei mix, who the caring officers named 'Philly' after an LAPD sergeant, had been struck by a car and left lying in the road for five hours, witnesses say

To the rescue: Philly was rescued by three Los Angeles police officers who raised $13,662 to cover his surgery

‘He was right there on Central for everyone to see,’ Officer Jennifer Cohen told NBC 4 in Southern California. ‘I honestly didn't even think it was a dog when we first saw him.’

The officers brought the wounded dog a plate of meat and bottle of water from a nearby taco truck. Philly raised his head, but Cohen said the dog was too injured to move and began whimpering when he tried to sit up and eat the food.

RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

Share

The LAPD veteran and her fellow officers, Cindy Herrera and Valerie Lancaster, drove Philly to Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Lawndale, California, where the dog underwent emergency surgery for a broken front leg and two fractured ribs.

Philly was stitched up, had pieces of plastic removed from his stomach and was given an artificial elbow and cast for his injured leg.

Major surgery: The officers drove Philly to an animal hospital in Lawndale, California, where the dog underwent emergency surgery for a broken front leg and two fractured ribs

Philly was stitched up, had pieces of plastic removed from his stomach and was given an artificial elbow and cast for his injured leg.

Cared for: Philly was left in the care of Officers Jennifer Cohen, Cindy Herrera and Valerie Lancaster

The veterinarians who performed the examination and surgery noticed that Philly had a tracking microchip embedded under his skin.

That tracking chip allowed the officers to call the dog’s owner, who showed no concern after she learned of the dog's rescue.

The owner told Cohen she was busy and that she would call back and come to the veterinary office later.

‘She basically said, put him to sleep,’ Cohen told an NBC reporter.

Philly was left in the care of Officers Cohen, Herrera and Lancaster, who said they would raise money to pay for the dog’s surgery.

Nearly 500 contributors had donated a total of $13,662 by Saturday morning.

‘We're his foster mommies now, basically,’ Cohen said. ‘We trade off every couple of days, so he'll be in different homes. He's great around kids, and we give him different environments so he is ready to go to his forever home.’

Philly will wear his cast, which must be changed every three days, for another 14 to 16 weeks.

The pup developed a respiratory infection after the incident, but Cohen says he seems to be resting well.

Ongoing treatment: Philly will wear his cast, which must be changed every three days, for another 14 to 16 weeks